Medical Transportation & Housing Assistance

The following organizations provide low or no-cost medical travel and housing assistance to patients and families. These services can be used when the medical facility is located a distance away from the patient's home. Depending on availability, patients may be able to use these services to seek out second opinions or to participate in clinical trials.

AIR

Air Charity Network is a charitable organization that provides access for people in need who are seeking free air transportation to specialized health care facilities or distant destinations due to family, community, or national crisis. Air Charity Network serves all 50 states and its volunteer pilots utilize their own aircraft, fuel and time to provide free air transportation to medical facilities for citizens who are financially distressed or otherwise unable to travel on public transportation.

Miracle Flights provides financial assistance to low-income children for
commercial air travel to obtain special medical care. Qualifying families can
receive travel assistance for the child patient and up to 2 parents or legal
guardians. Flights for adult patients (age 18 and up) are provided for the patient
and caregiver, if medically necessary. Applications should be submitted a recommended 14 days prior to departure.

National Patient Travel Center connects families to air medical transportation for children who need to see out-of-area specialists through multiple programs, including their National Patient Travel HELPLINE, and Airline Tickets for Patients/Escorts.

GROUND

Amtrak offers a 15% rail fare discount to adult passengers with a disability. Passengers with a disability travelling on Downeaster trains (Boston, MA to Portland, ME) are eligible for a 50% discount. Child passengers with a disability are eligible for the everyday 50% child discount plus an additional 15% off the discounted child's fare, regardless of the service on which they travel.

Angel Wheels to Healing (formerly Angel Bus) is a non-profit charity, dedicated to providing non-emergency, long-distance ground transportation to financially disadvantaged, ambulatory patients who are traveling for treatment, which may include gas cards, commercial ground transportation and volunteer drivers. A typical trip supported by Angel Wheels to Healing does not exceed 300 miles (one-way).

LODGING

Ronald McDonald House provides a "home-away-from-home" and support for families of children with life-threatening illnesses so they can stay close to their hospitalized child at little or no cost. All houses provide private bedrooms, family rooms and home cooked-meals. Many offer additional services including accredited educational programs, recreational activities, sibling support services and non-clinical support services. There are 324 Ronald McDonald Houses in 32 countries and regions worldwide.

The Healthcare Hospitality Network, Inc. (HHN) is a nationwide professional association of nearly 200 unique, nonprofit organizations that provide lodging and support services to patients, families and their loved ones who are receiving medical treatment far from their home communities.

Medical Supplies Fly Free. Under current law, airlines are not permitted to charge passengers baggage fees to check in bags that are exclusively packing medical supplies on commercial passenger flights. Click here to learn more and take advantage of this right.